Category: Server Migration

Tips To Ensure Smooth VPS to Dedicated Server Migration

When your traffic has skyrocketed and your servers are no longer able to hold the load, you’ll search for alternate solutions and decide to move your website from the existing VPS to a dedicated server.

Server migration can be a painful process. Here are a few tips to help you migrate smoothly and successfully to a new server.

Backups – First things first. Before you start doing anything, ensure that all your data is backed up safely. If anything happens during the migration process, you shouldn’t get affected at all. If you don’t have a backup and something happens during migration, then that’s it. You will lose all your data forever. So it’s very important to take backups even if there is zero chance of mishappens.

Resist the Temptation to Make ‘Quick’ Changes – It can be very tempting to make some changes while migrating. But you should refrain from doing so. Making changes at the time of migration can cause unexpected issues. So it’s better to make them either before or after the migration.

Is the New IP Blacklisted? – Ensure that the new server you are migrating to is not blacklisted. It can be very difficult to have the IP of your new server blacklisted. Check with your service provider about the IP.

Don’t Throw Out Your VPS Package Yet – Make sure you have the option to go back to your VPS package in case you are not happy with the new dedicated server you are opting for. There are chances of everything not falling in place. If that happens, you should still have a live website.

Migrate The Web Apps First And Then The Database – Adding your old files to the new server isn’t a difficult job. You would have the login credentials and other information in the welcome mail itself. You should first install all the web apps that were running on the VPS and then, when all of them are properly set, you can transfer the database.

Ensure All Email Ids Are In Place – Before witching on the DNS, it should be ensured that all the email ids in your website have been properly migrated from your VPS.

Website Testing – Once the migration is done, check the complete website. Check if all the links are working, or if there are any broken links. Also test whether all images are loading and download and media files are working correctly. Apart from the resources, you also can run a performance test to ensure everything is working as per your requirement.

There needs to be at least 2 rounds of testing before you can be assured that the whole website is functioning as you need it to.

DNS Update – Finally you need to update your DNS records. After that, you would have to wait for a day or two for the records to be successfully passed on.

These are just guides to ensure that your VPS to dedicated server migration doesn’t get messed up. You can follow them to ensure safe and smooth migration to the new server. If you have any pointers to add, you can share those insights with us in the comment section.